Ten Fingers, Ten Toes
by Tay-21
Summary: Daddy!Connor fluffiness.  Abby/Connor and their new arrival.  The original title was First Impressions, so take what you want from that.  If you like fluff, this is the story for you.  Enjoy.


**A/N: This is to help cheer up some of the wilting Connor/Abby muses around the fandom. As always, please review. I'd really love to know what you think. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Ten Fingers, Ten Toes**

Connor could not seem to wipe the smile off his face. It had been plastered there for the last several hours, ever since he had heard those three life changing words spoken by the doctor.

"It's a girl," the doctor had said.

Connor watched eagerly as they cleaned her up, his eyes flitting every few seconds to Abby both to reassure her and to check on her. He hadn't thought his existence could contain any more love than what he already possessed for Abby, but when he watched his little girl being born it was as if everything had solidified and shattered all at the same time. He almost couldn't process the emotion.

His daughter, now cleaned up and a healthy pink color, was swaddled and placed in his arms. She was so fragile, so helpless and entirely dependent on him. He took a deep breath as the emotion yet again threatened to overwhelm him. Connor unconsciously tightened his grip on the newborn and turned to present her to Abby.

Connor tipped the infant so her mother could see her tiny face. "She's beautiful, Abby. You were so amazing." He kissed Abby's still sweaty forehead as he passed the snuffling baby to Abby.

Abby smiled up at him, cupping his face with her hand, caressing his cheek just for a moment before turning her attention to the new life in her arms. She unwrapped the child so she could study every inch of her small perfect body. The little girl's arms flailed free and she kicked her legs feebly. Abby ran her hands over her head and down her back, then she let her fingers trace over the baby's torso. She counted all ten of her little fingers and all ten of her tiny toes. As her fingers moved over the little girl's body, Connor's hands ghosted along behind her, making his own mental note of their child's body, making his own count of her fingers and toes.

Abby pulled away her hospital gown and laid her daughter on her chest, skin to skin. Connor's hand came to rest on the little girl's warm back. He sat on the edge of the bed and counted his daughter's breaths. His other hand carded through Abby's hair absentmindedly. The little girl remained content for only a few minutes before she started squirming and snuffling around. Connor watched in wonder as Abby's maternal instincts kicked in and she positioned the baby across her tummy and turned her face toward her bare breast, guiding the little girl's mouth to her nipple. Within a few moments the child had latched on and was sucking at a very healthy pace.

Connor gently ran the backs of his fingers along his daughter's temple. "She's so beautiful. Just like her mum. What do we call her? It's decision time, Abby."

"Sarah. Sarah Mary Temple. Don't you think your mum would like that?"

Mary was Connor's mum's name. She would be arriving to spend a couple of weeks with them in two day's time. She was supposed to have been here when Sarah was born, but Sarah'd had other plans and arrived early into the world. Connor was surprised that he was glad it was just him and Abby in this moment. He loved his mother, but there was something sacred, almost holy about this precise moment.

Connor curled on the bed next to Abby with his arms around both of them. The three of them dozed on and off throughout the afternoon.

The hospital staff tried to take Sarah to the nursery, but Abby was having none of it. Connor spent every waking moment in awe of the two girls in his life.

When he was awake and Abby was sleeping he held his baby and simply stared at her. He counted her fingers and toes again and again. He marveled at her beautiful baby-blue eyes and wondered if they'd stay that colour.

As evening approached, he stripped off his shirt, keeping just his vest on, and changed into soft flannel pyjama bottoms. He grabbed one of the thin blankets and laid down in the reclining guest chair. He placed Sarah on his chest and covered them both with the blanket. Abby had just fed her and the nurses had just left after making their rounds. Connor knew he'd have the next three hours, maybe four if he was lucky, all to himself with no interruptions. Abby had fallen asleep a few moments ago after mumbling how much she loved him, exhausted from the day. He kissed the top of his daughter's head, reached over and took Abby's hand in his, and slipped into a completely content and deeply satisfied sleep. This was exactly how it should be, Abby safe and healthy, his daughter peacefully asleep on his chest and everything right in their little world.

When the hospital staff came in four hours later, a young nurse caught up Connor's phone and took a picture with it. Connor had pulled the chair over as close to Abby's bed as he could get and she was able to get the entire family in the shot, all three of them sleeping peacefully.

Abby woke to the sound of the camera clicking. The nurse blushed and apologized, then moved to pick up the baby and move her to the bassinet.

"No, don't," Abby whispered. "Let them sleep; you need to check my vitals and all that anyway, right? Check me over, and then I'll feed Sarah. Let them sleep until then."

The nurse nodded in compliance then went about checking Abby over. When it was time, Abby reached her fingers out and gently brushed them against Connor's cheek.

"Wake up, Daddy, Sarah needs to eat. You've held her for long enough, my turn." Connor yawned sleepily and handed the infant over to her mother. She started to fuss until Abby helped her to latch on.

"I love you," Connor whispered.

"I love you too, Conn. This is the most perfect moment my life has ever experienced."

"Mine too," he whispered back.

"Oh, check your phone. There's something on there I think you'll like. In the pictures folder."

Connor reached over and clicked open the pictures folder. The most recent file displayed first and his heart melted as he looked at his perfect little family.

Perfection wasn't measured in physical prowess, or mental acuity. It wasn't measured in binary code, or the perfect hack. It was measured in three people in a photograph sleeping soundly, content in each other's presence and physical contact. It was measured in ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes.

**Sooooo... what did you think? Please hit the review button and let me know what you thought of my story. I hope you enjoyed it. :-)**


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